About 70 representatives from different Friends of the Library organizations in Minnesota got together last Thursday to talk about different ways to help support their libraries.
Hosted by the Great River Regional Library (GRRL) at the headquarters in St. Cloud, the event was called Friends Meet Friends, featuring guest speaker Sue Hall.
Hall is the director of library strategies consulting group, an arm of the St. Paul Friends of the Library, and she spoke about issues like best practices, fundraising ideas, advocacy, donor cultivation and membership strategies.
It was a good turnout. Of the 28 Friends groups of the GRRL, 15 were represented at the gathering -Becker, Big Lake, Clearwater, Cold Spring, Howard Lake, Little Falls, Melrose, Monticello, Paynesville, Pierz, Waite Park, St. Cloud, Kimball, Annandale and Elk River.
“We could not do what we do in the libraries in your communities without the support of our Friends,” said GRRL Executive Director Karen Pundsack.
“They are our biggest supporters by far, volunteer-wise and donor-wise.”
Friends raise funds for library supplies, furniture, book club kits, winter reading prizes and even summer meals.
Hall led an interactive conversation with the group, focusing on things that worked well and things that didn’t.
A few ideas some friends shared were selling vintage and rare books online, rather than at a regular book sale. Others sold non-book items such as jewelry, paintings, prints and crafts to raise money. Different food-related fundraisers were common, as were requests for individual donations.
Debbie Manion, president of the Big Lake Friends of the Library, said their group of just seven raise funds to support programming, like the kids’ Cinderella program, gingerbread houses and other crafts.
They also paid for some of the library’s furniture and prizes for reading programs.
“Jennifer the librarian tells us what she needs and we put funds in an account to pay for it,” said Manion.
The group holds fundraisers at places like Pizza Ranch in Monticello. They just finished one of their book sales this week.
Manion says keeping up membership is always an issue.
“We’re trying to figure out ways to get new members,” she said. “But we do get people to volunteer who don’t necessarily want to join.”
The group meets on the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the library.
Membership was the biggest issue for most of the Friends groups. Hall said one way to help build membership and raise funds was to hold different type of events.
“It’s a mistake to do one thing. It’s better to have diverse revenue sources because not everyone wants to go to a book sale,” she said. “And there are more opportunities to bring in new members.”
Amanda Wheece of the Becker Friends said their group just got back together a few years ago. The Becker Library is located in the Becker Community Center.
The group doesn’t have a regular meeting schedule, but gets together a month or two before they have an event.
They have four board members and four to six other members. They also have volunteers who aren’t specifically members.
“A lot of people will help but not take on an active role as a member,” said Wheece.
“We have a list of people we can call when we need help setting up for an event and they’re happy to do that,” said Becker’s Geoff Johnson.
Their group has helped with furniture and a new carpet. They’re looking at purchasing chairs, bookshelves for the young adult section and replacing the library sign.
Their next fundraiser will be their book sale, which takes place Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.,m. and Oct 7 from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
The Clearwater Area Friends are also holding their fall book sale the week of Oct. 15 during regular library hours. That group has raised funds for furniture, bookshelves, a flat screen TV, electric fireplace and a new kitchen for staff. They meet the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
Raising money is at the center of what each Friends group does. But where the money goes isn’t always well-defined.
Laura Horn of the Clearwater Friends said there can be issues when deciding whether to keep locally-raised funds at the local branch or use some of it to support the library system.
Hall said understanding the Friends’ role is often a matter of communication. She said Friends groups should sit down with the director at least once a year to discuss projects and goals.
“It isn’t always a clearly articulated conversation where the money goes. Some groups sit on money even when there is a clear, visible need. So that conversation is essential to get on the same page.”
